Fruit treating machine



April 26, 1938. B. c. SKINNER FRUIT TREATING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l-Filed Aug. 30, 1955 April 26, 1938. B. c. SKINNER FRUIT TREATING MACHINEFiled Aug. 50, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 26, 193.8. Bl Q 5K|NN|5R2,115,126

FRUI T TREATI NG MACHINE Filed Aug. 50, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 PatentedApr. 26, 1938 naar appliance. august so, 1933,' 'serial No. '687,536

5` Claims.

efficiency and generally satisfactory operationor machines of this type.Y

The machine to which this-invention is particularly adapted comprisesbrushing rolls of any suitable character forthe Work` in hand that arearranged in parallel relation and over which the articles to be treatedare adapted to roll.

Adjacent the brush or polishing rolls are what is technically termed,rubboards. These are members arranged over and somewhat to one side ofthe brushrolls and-lie parallel therewith and together with the rolls-form valleys through which the articles rollas they are being treated.These rubboardsf have usually been made in comparatively short sectionswith individual adjustmentrelative to the 'brush rolls to i y. thecharacter of the valley formed for the alticles to roll along accordingto the size Aoil the articles.

Much diiculty in operation has been encountered due to the manner ofadjustment of these rubboards, the single boardl adjustment requiringlthe manipulation of a plurality lof I adjusting means to get them alladjusted alike.

There are several reasons for the frequent necessity of yadjustment andamong the most im portant are the changing size of fruit or productbeing handled; the character of the work being done, Washing orpolishing, and the eiiiciency oi the results being accomplished.`

In 'efcient operation the product should be made to lie in the valleysformed by the brushes and the rubboards so that the product is beingconstantly turned and rolled so that all suriaces are contacted with thebrushes to effect the desired cleaning or polishing, and withoutbouncing the fruit which might have a tendency to bruise or otherwiseinjure it. i

The rubboards are normally covered with a cloth material so that therewill be a slight scrub bingaction as the product is rolled by thebrushes and to provide a somewhat soit surface for the contact so thatdamage will not result to delicate skinned fruits or vegetables.

These machines .are usually quite long, sometimes in the neighborhood ofeighteen feet, `so that it has required a considerable number of theindividual rubboards to cover this area, and an equal number ofindividual adjusting means to place all the boards in the propel'positions.

The principal improvement disclosed. bythis (Cl. MLS-262) applicationrefers, to the manner of making the rubboards and the manner ci'adjusting them.

' ln .this invention there is only one .ruhboard for each Washing orpolishing brush and this one board extends theV entire length of themachine. Inv-a machine having two parallel brushes as illustrated in thedrawings, two rubboards Will be provided.l These rubboards are somounted. that they will swing out over thebrushes when they are,adjusted'and thus change vthe valley the entire length of the machinewith only one adjusting means.

The Vadjusting means is so arranged mounted together With thecooperating elements,V that the simple turning of a single adjustingscrew will immediately adjust both the rubbcards the same amount, forthe entire length or the machine and forboth sides of the machine. Y YThis improved adjustment enables the packer to instantly adjustthe-machine to make corrections disclosed by the condition of theproduct as it is discharged,` whichwould be practically impossible withthe old arrangement of individual boards.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a machine forwashing or polishing fruits or the like wherein the eiiiciency of theoperation'rnay be controlled by an instantaneous adjustment.

lt is alsdan object .of the invention to provide a machine for thepurpose Adescribed wherein therunway or valley through which thearticles roll may be changed in character while the machine is inoperation. I

It is also an objectof the invention to provide a machine for thepurpose specified that will be instantly adjustable for a change inthesize of thel product being hanched so there is no loss of timeor productthrough delaysusually incident to such changes. i

lIt islalso' an object of the invention to' provide a machinev forwashing and polishing fruits or the like wherein a change in Aspeed ofthe brush-k ing elements instantly converts the machine fromy Yportions, placement and general arrangement without departing from thenature andscope of Ythe invention, and in order to make the inventionmore clearly understood there are shown, somewhat diagrammatically inthe accompanying drawings, means and mechanism forrplacing the sameinthe preferred form without limiting the improvements in theirapplication to the particular construction shown.

The drawings are not necessarily made to scale and some parts may beexaggerated more or less relative to other parts to better illustratethe invention. They are to be considered merely as illustrative and notnecessarily technically correct working drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan of a machine embodying the preferred form of theinvention with the center section of the machine broken away to shortenthe view.

Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1.

`Figure 3 is a cross sectional elevation taken on substantially the line3--3 'of Figure 1.V

Figure 4 is a detail Yof one of the rubboard supporting brackets.

Figure 5 is a detached View of the mechanism carrying the rubboards andthe adjustment thereof.

Figure 6 shows an end view of the rubboards and supporting brackets.

Figure 7 is plan view of one of the adjusting cams.

A pair of long brush rolls I are mounted in a suitable framework to be`rotated by suitable power means comprising the cross shaft 2 carryingbevel gears 3 meshing with pinions 4 on the ends of the brush rollshafts 5.

The two brush rolls are mounted parallel and spaced apart as shown inFigure 3. A plurality of standards B are secured along the framework andact as the main supporting means for the rubboard mechanism.

Adjustably carried by the standards B are a series of members `I securedtortie bars 8 which bars extend from end to end of the machine.Themembers 'I have vertical adjustment relative to the members 6 bymeans of the adjusting screws 9. By means'of'the screws 9 the propervertical placement of the entire rubboard anism is accomplished.

On the tie bars 8 are mounted a Vseries of brackets I0 through themedium of thebushes II which form long bearings for the brackets I0 tohold them in proper alignment.

Figure 6 shows the end shape of the brackets IIJ. Extending from bracketto bracket throughoutthe length of the machine are angle bars I2 thatrest in the ways I3 of the brackets I0 and are tied together by means ofthe adjusting member I4 which is securely bolted to the rails I2 as isclearly shown in Figure 2.

One of the brackets 'I0 carries an extension I5 which in turn isconnected to the adjusting screw vIt which in turn moves in the fixednut I'I carried by the spanning member I4.

A series of cams I8 and I9 are adjustably mounted on the rails I2 wherethey rest in the ways I3 of the brackets I0. These cam members have camgrooves in opposed relation as at 20 and 2|, the purpose of which willbe explained. f Y

In the open spaces of the brackets, I0 are mounted on the upper rod 8,a. series of hanger members 22 which are arranged in right and leftrelation in each bracket I0. These hanger members vcarry the longrubboards 23, one to operate mechwith each brush roll. Figure 4 showsone of the hanger members with the rubboard attached. The upper ends ofthe hanger members 22 carry the rollers 24 which ride in the cam grooves20 and 2 I, the action vof which will be explained.

The rubboards 23 are preferably covered with.

a fabric or other soft material as shown at 25.

Operation An operative description will give details not before referredto.

As has been mentioned, when machines of this type are in operation thereis quite a large amount of product passing continuously and if theoperator discovers that either the washing or polishing is not beingdone satisfactorily on account, possibly of a slight misadjustment ofthe rubboards relative to the rotary brushes, he

may with this improvement instantly correct the l adjustment along theentire length of the machine and on both sides at the same time.

The adjusting screw is mounted in the xed bracket I5 for rotationbut'against axial movement so that when the screw I 6 is turned'theelfect is to move the nut I'I and spacer bracket and this in turn willmove the angle rails I2 on which are mounted the cams I8 and-I9, whenthey will be moved accordingly. VThe rollers 24 riding in the camgrooves 20 and 2|, will on account of the longitudinal movement of thecams,

be moved to swing the members 22 to which are secured the rubboards 23.This swinging movement being uniform and equal throughout the? machinethe rubboards will immediately assume the new positions to increase or`decrease the rubbing action of the brush rolls.

If the rubboards are moved away from the Y brushes toward the center ofthe machine the' valleys formed by the brush surfaces and the rubboardswill be deepened, so to speak, and the articles will bear harder againstthe brushesl and will be brushed or polished more vigorously, Y

while if they are moved toward the brushes ory away from the center ofthe machine the valleys will -grow shallower and the articles will notbe brushed so vigorously.

'Ihe great eiiiciency of this device over anyV may be made before thefruit has hardly startedr along the valleys and the Valleys madedeeperto accommodate the larger fruit. f

It will be noted that the cams areY arranged in reversed pairs for eachVpair of swinging members 22 so that either direction of movement of thecams will effect a like movement of all of the swinging members andthereby Vproduce a simultaneous movement of both rubboards, which `areat all times held parallel with the brushes.V

The vertical adjustment provided for the entire rubboardmechanism is notnecessarily used for operative adjustments but is rather an adjustmentthat is made when rst setting the machine,

and while adjustment in a vertical direction may be VVdesirable Yattimes to accommodate certain 25 I4 either toward or away from theextension I5,r Y

product, the longitudinal adjustment is the one that is made while theproduct is rolling through the machine.

To convert the machine from a washer to a polisher is only a matter ofchanging the rotary speeds of the brush rolls.

'I'he longitudinal adjustment provided in the cams I8 and I9 is for thepurpose of aligning the swing members 22 when they are bolted to therubboards 23. This adjustment is by means of the slotted holes so thecams may be moved along the angle rails until the desired setting isreached when they will be secured permanently and need no furtheradjustment.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A `machine for brushing and cleaning a product such as fruit or anyrcllable articles comprising a pair of brush rolls arranged in parallelrelation, rub-boards positioned between said rolls and inclined relativethereto to form with said rolls, article runways along which the productrolls while being brushed, a pivot bar and a guide bar extendinglengthwise through said machine above and parallel with said rolls,swinging arms mounted on said pivot bar for supporting said rubboards,xed brackets mounted on said pivot and guide bars, cam plates mounted toslide through said brackets and a single means for moving said camplates at will, cam grooves associated with said plates for engagingsaid pivoted swinging arms to swing them and thereby reposition them andthe rubboards relative to said rolls, when said plates are moved.

2. A machine for brushing and cleaning a product such as fruit or anyrollable articles comprising a pair of parallel arranged brush rolls,rubboards mounted above and at one side of said rolls to form articlerunways therewith, fixed brackets mounted above and between said rolls,guide bars supporting said brackets, swinging arms mounted on one ofsaid guide bars and acting as supports for said rubboards, cam platesmounted to slide through said brackets and connected for simultaneousmovement, a single means connected with said cam plates for moving themat will, cam grooves associated with said cam plates, extensions on saidswinging arms engaging in said cam grooves and moved thereby when saidcam plates are moved to thereby change the relative positions of saidrubboards and brush rolls.

3. A machine for brushing and cleaning a product such as fruit or anyrcllable articles comprising a pair of brush rolls arranged in parallelrelation, rubboards positioned above and at one side of said rolls toform therewith runways for the product being handled, fixed bracketsmounted above and between said rollsv and having guideways therein,lengthwise bars for supporting said brackets, a series of cam platesmounted on slide bars and adapted to slide in the guideways in saidbrackets, a single adjusting means carried by one of said brackets andconnecting with said cam plates to move them at will, cam groovesassociated with said cam plates, swinging arms supporting saidrubboards, extensions on said arms engaging with said cam grooveswhereby said arms are swung on their pivots when said cam plates aremoved b-y said single adjusting means to thereby change the relationbetween said rubboards Vand said rolls.

4. A manner of adjusting the rubboards of fruit or other productbrushing and cleaning machines comprising swinging arms for supportingthe rubboards, a single pivotal support for all of said arms, a seriesof cam plates, guide bars for supporting said cam plates, guideways forsaid guide bars to slide in, a single means for adjusting said camplates to move parallel with said rubboards, cam grooves associated withsaid cam plates engaging said swinging arms whereby all of said arms aregiven pivotal movement when said cam plates are given lineal movementthereby changing the relative positions of said rubboards.

5. An apparatus for adjusting the rubboards of fruit brushing andcleaning machines comprising swinging arms for supporting the rubboards,a single pivotal support for all of said arms, a series of cams, guidebars for supporting said cams, guideways for said guide bars to slidein, a single means for adjusting said cams to move parallel with saidrubboards, said cams engaging said swinging arms whereby all of saidarms are given pivotal movement when said earns are given linealmovement thereby changing the relative positions oi said rubboards;

BRONSON C. SKINNER.

